Colorado Springs Solar gardens project draws competition

More than a month after Colorado Springs City Council voted in favor of a plan that would double the scope of the city’s community solar garden program, 10 contractors expressed interest in doing business in the local market. During a mandatory pre-proposal conference held by Colorado Springs Utilities last week, the 10 companies — half based in Colorado and the rest with headquarters in five other states — conveyed their interest in the contract, were briefed on the terms and were able to ask technical questions about the expansion. The project was approved by City Council in a 6-to-3 vote Aug. 14 after members rescinded the previous Council’s approval of a 10-megawatt expansion in April. Council passed the buck for the planned 2-megawatt expansion to Utilities’ customers at the rate of about 50 cents per year for the next 20 years. Council passed the buck for the planned 2-megawatt expansion to Utilities’ customers at the rate of about 50 cents per year for the next 20 years, according to Utilities’ request for proposals published in early September. “That figure has not changed,” said Utilities spokesman Dave Grossman. “Fifty cents a year is the average cost for each of our 189,000 residential electric customers. The program’s average cost per year for commercial and industrial customers would be higher since their bills are higher, on average, than those of residential customers. We have a total of 215,000 electric customers.” The deadline for bid proposals is Oct. 1, and Utilities said that they hope to award the contract in mid-October and complete the project within one year. The location of the systems included in the contract is up to the discretion of the developer, but must be within what Utilities calls its “certified electric service territory,” according to the RFP. The document also states that one or more developers will be awarded the bid depending on qualifications and minimization of risk. “Utilities is one of the largest four-service (electric, natural gas, water, waste-water treatment) municipal utility services in the nation and the second largest electric system in the state of Colorado,” according to CSU’s documents. “Being a municipal utility means that customers are the owners. Utilities is governed by the City Council for the City of Colorado Springs, which also acts as the Utilities Board.” Because only companies in attendance — physically or electronically — at the pre-proposal meeting are permitted to vie for the bid, the following 10 companies are in the running: SunShare is a Colorado Springs-based solar energy startup owned by Colorado College graduate David Amster-Olszewski. SunShare built and operates two community solar gardens in Utilities’ pilot program: one at Venetucci Farm and the other at Christa McAuliffe Elementary School. Clean Energy Collective is a Springs-based solar energy firm that is member owned and builds, operates and maintains clean energy facilities at a community level — specializing in community solar gardens. CEC has completed projects in Colorado, Minnesota and Vermont. El Paso Green Energies is a family-owned and -operated business based in Colorado Springs whose personnel are certified by the North American Board of Certified Energy Practitioners and works primarily in the Colorado market. Solar Power Financial is based in Boulder. This company develops and finances renewable energy and real estate projects as a consultant both in the United States and foreign markets. SPF has worked primarily in the Colorado, Hawaii and Mexico markets. Custom Solar is a renewable energy design and construction firm that is also based in Boulder. The Colorado company provides solar electric, solar thermal and green engineering solutions for residential and commercial clients throughout the state, according to CustomSolar.com. Ecoplexus Solar Solutions is a development, design, engineering, construction and financing contractor based in San Francisco that specializes in solar systems for commercial, municipal, nonprofit and utility markets both nationally and internationally. Some of Ecoplexus’ recent projects were in Colorado, Georgia and California. Affordable Solar is based in Albuquerque and specializes in all things solar, with more than 14 years of experience in the field, according to Affordable-Solar.com. The company also says on its website that it can “design and distribute renewable energy systems for residential, commercial and industrial use domestically and internationally.” Cornwell Group is headquartered in Kapolei, Hawaii, with a location in downtown Colorado Springs and is a strategic management firm that provides consulting, data research and analysis to clientele worldwide, according to CornwellGroup.com. Cascade Renewable Energy is a Grand Rapids, Mich., company with expertise in design, installation, program management and quality/safety assurance pertaining to such renewable energy operations as wind farms and solar systems, according to CascadeRenewableEnergy.com. HelioSage Energy is headquartered in Charlottesville, Va., and focuses specifically on solar energy project development. The firm has worked in 15 states since its inception in 2008 and “has been responsible for the construction of over 400 megawatts of renewable energy projects,” according to HelioSage.com. The only companies who were physically present at the meeting were representatives from SunShare and El Paso Green Energies — spokespersons from the remaining eight companies attended electronically. Original plans for the program’s expansion would have cost Utilities customers a 20-year total of nearly $22 million, according to earlier estimates, but that figure shrank along with the size and scope of the program. After the expansion is complete, customers within Utilities’ certified service area will have the option to purchase panel space — with a maximum customer benefit of roughly 13 cents/kilowatt hour. The community solar garden pilot program was launched by Utilities in September 2011, and is currently fully subscribed with around 400 customers. It features only three solar gardens – SunShare operates two and the Air Force Academy operates one – that make up a total power availability of 1.5 megawatts, and Utilities says a fourth is currently being completed to build the 2-megawatt pilot program. “Utilities was one of the first municipal utilities in the nation, working with the local solar industry, to offer a CSG option to its customers through a pilot CSG program,” according to the RFP. “Customers began receiving electric bill credits on their electricity bills in February 2012.” The concept of community solar gardens in Colorado Springs was spurred by state legislation that requires utilities to obtain 20 percent of their electricity from renewables. However, as a municipal utility, CSU is exempt but says they aim to meet that standard.

Xcel Energy Says Wind and Solar is Cheaper Than Natural Gas

Well, there goes the myth that cheap shale gas would price renewables out of the US electricity market. Xcel Energy, one of the country’s biggest utilities, has just announced a planned major expansion of its solar and wind investments – because they are “cheaper and more reliable” than natural gas. In a filing to the public utilities commission in the state of Colorado, Xcel Energy requested permission to include 170MW of new, utility-scale solar capacity and 450MW of wind energy capacity in the state. The reason, Xcel Energy said, was not to meet renewable energy targets (which in Colorado happen to be 30 per cent by 2020), but because these technologies were best placed to fill basic generation needs. Solar and wind, it said, were competitive with the cost of gas-fired generation. “Based on generation needs, the most reliable and most cost-effective resources happen to be solar and wind,” Xcel Energy spokeswoman Michelle Aguayo told the online publication SRN. “We are not taking on solar because we have to, but because it is cost-effective and economical.” A lot has been written about the shale gas boom in the US and its apparent impact on other technologies, particularly renewables such as wind and solar. But its principal victims in the short term appear to be coal-fired generation and nuclear, with neither able to compete on cost – particularly with the additional burden of emissions and/or safety regulations. Part of Xcel Energy’s plan out to 2018 include the closure of a 108MW coal facility and the switching of another to natural gas. Wind is now priced at less than $50/MWh in the US, and the proposed build out of wind will take Xcel’s total wind capacity to 2,650MW – nearly equivalent to Australia’s entire capacity. In an earlier filing, Xcel Energy had wanted to install 550MW of wind capacity, but the PUC only allowed 200MW because it was not sure it would be cost-effective. Excel insisted it would be, and is now pushing for the allowance to be lifted to 450MW. The cost of utility-scale solar is also falling fast. A recent auction in Palo Alto saw the local utility contract 80MW of utility-scale solar at a price of just under $70/MWh, and public utilities have recently contracted large-scale projects at around $90/MWh. The prevailing market price in that market is about $100/MWh. Xcel Energy already has 80MW of utility-scale solar and 160MW of rooftop solar from residential customers. It is now seeing utility-scale solar coming down – and from Xcel’s point of view – building large-scale solar, with single-axis tracking, would be a much cheaper option than rooftop solar. “For the first time ever, we are adding cost competitive utility-scale solar to the system,” said David Eves, the head of an Xcel subsidiary that deals with regulatory matters. “The 170 MW we recommend would triple Xcel Energy’s current utility-scale solar in Colorado and it equates to all of the customer-sited solar in the state of Colorado, at about one half of the cost.” It recommends around 42.5MW of additional rooftop solar. As John Farrell, from the Institute of Energy Self Reliance, writes in a blog on the same subject, even rooftop solar is meeting peak demand in the state of Colorado, at less than half the cost of peaking gas plant. “Solar not only meets this peak need at a lower per kilowatt-hour cost, but also without the harmful emissions from running a power plant on standby (or fracking its fuel out of the ground),” he writes. “What’s important to keep in mind when talking about solar and electricity prices is that solar energy production tends to align very well with the highest energy demand on a utility’s system. “It doesn’t have to be cheaper than a nuclear power plant built in 1965, it just has to be cheaper than the next kilowatt-hour the utility needs at 4pm on a hot, July afternoon. For many utilities (like Xcel, one of the 10 biggest in the US), it is. For many others, it will be soon, without subsidies. “And don’t forget, utilities buy power plants for 30, 40, or 50 years. With costs dropping by 10% per year, if solar power’s not cheaper now, it will be long before a new fossil fuel power plant is paid off.” Farrell also makes another point about the move by Xcel to embrace utility-scale solar: they are in fact competing with their own customers, because as more consumers add rooftop solar, that means lower revenues for the utilities. This is especially relevant in Colorado, where the community in Boulder (currently being hit by “biblical floods) has been trying to “break away” and establish its own municipal utility, on the basis that it can provide cheaper and greener electricity than a centralized utility. “Xcel’s Colorado plans suggest the utility is wising up, and that the era of customer-owned solar only lasts as long as people are willing to raise holy hell or legislatures are willing to tell them to do the right thing,” O’Farrell writes. “So the utility shift to solar is both bad and good. The bad news is that locally owned solar pours piles of cash into local economies, and utility-owned solar is going to suck it right back out again. The good is that even an anachronistic, monopoly utility can figure out the financial advantages to clean energy, and we need a lot of it to save the climate.” “Game on.”

Xcel Energy Counters Critics With Proposal For 170 MW Of New Solar

Colorado utility Xcel Energy is proposing to add new solar and wind energy resources to meet the state's future electricity needs, according to a report filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC). Xcel's recommendations include 170 MW of new utility-scale solar power, 450 MW of new wind power and 317 MW of natural gas generation that it says would provide operational flexibility the utility needs to reliably integrate renewable resources into its electric supply mix. "This request will add significant amounts of wind and solar energy to the system at the right price, and it makes good sense for our customers and the environment," says David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co., an Xcel Energy company. "For the first time ever, we are adding cost-competitive utility-scale solar to the system. The 170 megawatts we recommend would triple Xcel Energy’s current utility-scale solar in Colorado, and it equates to all of the customer-sited solar in the state of Colorado, at about one half of the cost." Xcel Energy’s announcement is in addition to 42.5 MW of on-site solar that the company has proposed through separate proceedings with the PUC, under the 2014 Renewable Energy Standard compliance plan. That proposal recently was sent to an administrative law judge with the PUC for further regulatory action. Xcel Energy has been under intense criticism from solar sector advocates as its recent proposals filed with the PUC also includes a request to re-evaluate the cost-effectiveness of the state's NEM policies. The utility maintains that some costs of NEM are unfairly shouldered by non-solar ratepayers, while critics, including the Vote Solar Initiative, say Xcel's analysis is flawed and NEM actually lowers grid costs. "This plan demonstrates the right way to advance clean energy because it keeps the focus on customer costs," says Ben Fowke, chairman, president and CEO of Xcel Energy. "We have a clear track record of implementing clean energy projects that create significant customer value and keep rates affordable. This plan continues that effort, and we are positioned to take advantage of very favorable pricing for some great projects." Details of the Xcel Energy proposal include the following: The addition of 170 MW of utility-scale solar generation would use single-axis tracking to maximize solar generation during the day. The company currently has about 80 MW of utility-scale solar and 160 MW of customer-sited solar generation; The addition of 450 MW of wind generation is an adjustment from the 550 MW the company initially recommended early this summer after its early wind request for proposal. This additional wind would bring the installed capacity on the company’s system in Colorado to 2.65 GW; and The proposed 317 MW of natural gas-fired generation would come from existing Colorado power plants that previously supplied Xcel Energy but would do so going forward at reduced prices. The company says this "flexible generation" allows it to start, bring up and turn down generation online in relatively short periods of time as wind and solar generation vary throughout the day. Xcel Energy’s proposal must be reviewed by an independent evaluator for the PUC and ultimately considered by the commission, which is scheduled to approve the plan as filed or make amendments to the proposal by Dec. 9, 2013.

Study: Colorado Solar Customers Deliver $11 M in Annual Benefits to Xcel Energy Grid

The Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar) today released new study findings indicating that distributed solar energy systems currently in the Xcel service area deliver as much as $11 million in annual benefits to Colorado ratepayers. The findings were submitted to the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (PUC) in opposition to a study from Xcel Energy that could be used to weaken one of the state’s most important solar policies, net metering. More than 17,000 Coloradans have urged regulators to reject the Xcel proposal and defend consumer solar rights. Released in July as part of the utility’s 2014 Renewable Energy Standard compliance plan, the Xcel proposal takes aim at net metering, a policy that encourages consumer investment in solar power. The utility used a cost and benefit study of its own design that had not yet undergone public or commission review to make its case against the successful solar policy. In today’s comments, advocates stressed that the Xcel study and subsequent proposal do not fairly account for the many benefits that rooftop solar delivers to Coloradans. “Xcel has significantly undervalued solar power from its customers and we are determined not to let their incomplete math be used to dismantle the most important rooftop solar energy policy on the books. While we understand that rooftop solar represents a change from the utility’s traditional way of doing business, it’s clear that Coloradans want that change. We encourage the Commission to look closely at the serious flaws in Xcel’s approach to assessing the impacts of this policy,” said Annie Lappé, solar policy director at Vote Solar. "Net metering is key to keeping Colorado homes and businesses going solar, reaching the state’s Million Solar Roofs goal, and revamping our antiquated energy system,” said Edward Stern, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA), a joint party to the PUC proceeding. “Xcel’s current proposal clearly falls well short of accounting for rooftop solar’s tremendous value to Colorado. If we're going to have a conversation about net metering, we need to make sure we're using good, updated, accurate information that ensures a fair deal for our state’s solar customers.” "Xcel created this study without adequate input from the Technical Review Committee (TRC) of industry experts that was mandated by the Colorado PUC," said Meghan Nutting, a Colorado resident, TRC member and member of The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC). "This lack of best practices is exacerbated by the fact that the study uses non-current data from as far back as three years ago, and cites outdated studies, the most recent of which was completed more than four years ago." “Solar has become an affordable option for Colorado families, schools and businesses who want more control over their electricity supply and power bills. That is why we saw such a massive outpouring of opposition to the Xcel proposal,” said Nellis Kennedy-Howard, senior campaign representative, Sierra Club. “Xcel should be working with the PUC and stakeholders to support what the public wants and what’s good for the state’s economy and environment: more local solar power.” The new study, commissioned by Vote Solar and undertaken by Crossborder Energy, uses a Commission-approved methodology to assess the overall impacts of net metering in Xcel Energy’s Colorado territory. It finds that the financial benefits of net metered power outweigh the costs, with a total net value of between $7 and $11 million per year, depending on the price of natural gas, and the future cost of greenhouse gas regulations. Benefits include: savings on expensive and polluting conventional power; reduced investments in transmission and distribution infrastructure; reduced electricity lost during transportation over power lines, as net metered solar's surplus energy flows to the grid and is consumed locally; and savings on the cost of meeting carbon reduction and renewable energy goals. In addition to grid benefits, distributed solar is delivering economic, environmental and public health benefits to Xcel’s solar and non-solar customers alike. Colorado now ranks 5th in the country for the amount of solar installed with enough to power 50,500 homes. There are 275 solar companies employing 3,600 Coloradans throughout the state. In 2012, $187 million was invested in Colorado to install solar on homes and businesses. Groups opposing the Xcel net metering proposal include: Advanced Energy Economy, Clean Energy Action, Clean Power Finance, COSEIA, Dynamic Integration, EnergyShouldBe.org, Environment Colorado, Five Star Consultants, Go Green Electric, Namaste Solar, Real Goods Solar, SEIA, Sierra Club, SolarCity, Sunrun, TASC, Verengo Solar and Vote Solar. About net metering: Like rollover minutes on a cell phone bill, net metering gives solar customers full credit on their utility bills for the excess clean power they contribute to the grid. In place in 43 states, this simple crediting arrangement is one of the most important state policies for enabling Americans to generate their own power from solar and other renewable energy resources. Learn more at: www.protectnetmetering.org About Vote Solar: The Vote Solar Initiative is a non-profit grassroots organization working to foster economic opportunity, promote energy independence and address climate change by making solar a mainstream energy resource across the United States. Since 2002, Vote Solar has engaged at the state, local and federal levels to remove regulatory barriers and implement the key policies needed to bring solar to scale.

Multinational Corporation Real Goods Solar acquires Syndicated Solar

Real Goods Solar Inc., a Louisville-based installer of solar energy systems, has completed the acquisition of Denver-based Syndicated Solar Inc. to grow its residential market, officials announced Monday. Syndicated Solar has three regional offices in Grand Junction, Missouri and California. Syndicated Solar's efficient sales processes and integrated software tools allowed the company to rapidly grow in the residential sector, officials said in a news release. The company brought in revenues of $2.5 million in 2011 and $7.3 million in 2012 and is expected to double revenue year-over-year in 2013. Real Goods Solar (Nasdaq: RSOL) paid $2.5 million and issued 400,000 shares of its unregistered Class A common stock with the potential for the seller to earn up to $250,000 at the close of the 2013 fiscal year and an additional 1.3 million shares of unregistered Class A common stock over the next two and a half years. Over the next few months, Syndicated Solar is expected to be fully integrated into Real Goods Solar's residential division, officials said. The acquisition will add more than 40 employees to Real Goods Solar, including Justin Pentelute, Syndicated Solar's founder and CEO. Real Goods Solar on Friday also agreed to acquire Mercury Solar Systems in an effort to build its East Coast business. Real Goods Solar plans to issue 7.9 million shares of its Class A common stock for the Port Chester, N.Y.-based Mercury. Based on Real Goods Solar's $2.29 closing price Friday, the deal would be valued at more than $18 million. Mercury, founded in 2008, posted $35 million in revenue in 2012 and has cumulative revenue of $250 million, Real Goods Solar officials said. Under the terms of the transaction -- which is subject to shareholder and regulatory approval -- Mercury's workforce of more than 50 people would join Real Goods Solar as would three of its executives, including company co-founder Jared Haines, officials said.

NREL Study: Cost Gap For Western U.S. Renewables Could Narrow By 2025

By 2025, wind and solar power electricity generation in the western U.S. could become cost-competitive without federal subsidies if new renewable energy development occurs in the most productive locations, according to a new report from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL). The report, "Beyond Renewable Portfolio Standards: An Assessment of Regional Supply and Demand Conditions Affecting the Future of Renewable Energy in the West," compares the cost of renewables (without federal subsidy) from the West’s most productive renewable energy resource areas with the cost of energy from a new natural-gas-fired generator built near the customers it serves. A recent report from the Renewable and Appropriate Energy Laboratory at the University of California, Berkeley, says that solar power could become a mainstream source of electricity in the Western U.S. by 2020 if the DOE's per-watt cost targets targets were met. "The electric generation portfolio of the future could be both cost-effective and diverse," says NREL Senior Analyst David Hurlbut, the report’s lead author. "If renewables and natural gas cost about the same per kilowatt-hour delivered, then value to customers becomes a matter of finding the right mix. "Renewable energy development, to date, has mostly been in response to state mandates," Hurlbut adds. "What this study does is look at where the most cost-effective yet untapped resources are likely to be when the last of these mandates culminates in 2025, and what it might cost to connect them to the best-matched population centers." According to NREL, the study’s key findings include the following: Wyoming and New Mexico could be areas of robust competition among wind projects aiming to serve California and the Southwest. NREL says both states are likely to have large amounts of untapped, developable, prime-quality wind potential after 2025. Wyoming’s surplus will probably have the advantage of somewhat higher productivity per dollar of capital invested in generation capacity; New Mexico’s will have the advantage of being somewhat closer to the California and Arizona markets. Montana and Wyoming could emerge as attractive areas for wind developers competing to meet demand in the Pacific Northwest. The challenge for Montana wind power appears to be the cost of transmission through the rugged forests that dominate the western part of the state. Wyoming wind power could also be a low-cost option for customers in Utah, which also has its own diverse portfolio of in-state resources. Colorado is a major demand center in the Rockies and will likely have a surplus of wind potential in 2025. However, the study suggests that Colorado is likely to be isolated from future renewable energy trading in the West due to transmission costs between the state and its Rocky Mountain neighbors. California, Arizona and Nevada are likely to have surpluses of solar resources. None is likely to have a strong comparative advantage over the others within the three-state market, unless environmental or other siting challenges limit in-state development. Consequently, development of utility-scale solar will probably continue to meet local needs rather than expand exports. New geothermal development could trend toward Idaho by 2025 since much of Nevada’s resources have already been developed. Geothermal power from Idaho could be competitive in California as well as in the Pacific Northwest, but NREL says the quantity is relatively small. Reaching California, Oregon and Washington may depend on access to unused capacity on existing transmission lines or on being part of a multi-resource portfolio carried across new lines. The study notes future electricity demand will be affected by several factors, including trends in the supply and price of natural gas; consumer preferences; technological breakthroughs; further improvements in energy efficiency; and future public policies and regulations. While most of these demand factors are difficult to predict, NREL says the study’s supply forecasts rely on empirical trends and the most recent assessments of resource quality. To read the full NREL report, click here.

Mesa County District 51 Schools Increase Solar Energy Use

The school board also adopted a resolution tonight that will add alternate energy to four District 51 Schools this year. Seven District 51 schools to date have solar energy and now four more schools will be added to the list. Grand Junction High School, Fruita Monument High School, Grand Junction High School and Nisley Elementary will have roof mounted solar units. District 51 Energy Officials say over a 20 year term, it's estimated that 2.1 million dollars will be saved in energy utility. And the project will be added at no cost to the schools and will begin immediately and be up and running before the end of the year. After its completion, District 51 will have 18% clean, renewable solar power.

Bureau of Land Management boosts solar development in Colorado

The federal Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has announced its first-ever competitive lease sale inside two designated solar energy zones in southern Colorado covering approximately 3,700 acres in the San Luis Valley. Once fully developed with solar projects, the two zones have the potential to produce 412 megawatts of electricity, enough to power more than 140,000 homes. The move by BLM marks the agency’s first foray into actively developing any of the seventeen “solar energy zones” that stretch across the Southwest. BLM designated the zones last fall as well-suited for utility-scale solar energy development and has pledged to prioritize them for solar energy production, transmission and infrastructure development. BLM Colorado State Director Helen Hankins noted that the competitive lease sale would “facilitate the Department’s priority approach to making appropriate public lands available for renewable energy development in the Solar Energy Zones and ensure a fair return to taxpayers for the commercial use of these lands.” BLM will publish formal notice of the lease sale in the August 16, 2013 edition of Federal Register, kicking off a 60-day window ending October 15 for companies to submit sealed bids, which must be accompanied by a $48,169 administrative fee on each parcel. An oral auction will be held October 24, 2013, opening with the minimum bonus bid or the highest sealed bid over the minimum bonus bid, whichever is higher. Winning bidders will have 180 days to file right-of-way applications and plans of development with BLM. The competitive lease sale is the latest example of the Obama administration’s efforts to promote development of renewable energy projects – particularly on federal lands. As of today, 47 solar, wind and geothermal power plants have been approved on nearly 300,000 acres of federal land. If all are built, the projects will have the capacity to produce more than 13,300 MW of electricity, or enough to power 4.6 million homes.

BLM to auction Colorado land for solar development

The United States Interior Department’s Bureau of Land Management announced today that it will auction off leases for 3,705 acres of public lands in Colorado for solar development this fall. This will be the BLM’s first competitive auction for of leases for Solar Energy Zone land. The land is divided between two sites, the De Tilla Gulch and Los Mogotes East Solar Energy Zones in the San Luis Valley. The Interior Department designated the areas Solar Energy Zones because of their proximity to transmission lines or planned transmission lines in a famously sunny region of the sate. President Barack Obama’s administration has been proactively seeking out optimal solar energy regions and designating them Solar Energy Zones in a push to develop more utility-scale solar energy generation on public lands. “As we double down on the unprecedented progress that the Obama administration has made on advancing clean energy, the Interior Department has an opportunity not only to cut carbon pollution, but also to advance important conservation goals," Interior Secretary Sally Jewell said last week at the National Clean Energy Summit in Las Vegas. The Department announced last week that it was designating another nearly 11,000-acre parcel of land near the Marine Corps’ Chocolate Mountain Gunnery Range in Southern California’s Imperial Valley as its 19th Solar Energy Zone. While the department has been working to identify areas for solar development since the creation of the program in October of 2012, no actual development has started on the designated lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico or Utah. Scheduled for Oct. 24, the parcels in Conejos and Saguache counties will be the first to be auctioned for lease. Bidding for the De Tilla parcel will start at $3,352. The Los Magotes section has been divided into two separate parts with bidding for the north parcel starting at $4,035 and the south starting at $4,284. Utility-scale solar developers, particularly those that specialize in early-stage construction investment, will be the likely bidders for the projects. Once the leases are finalized developers will have to go through all of the usual approval processes before they can begin developing solar projects on the land. Since this is the first auction of Solar Energy Zone lands, it will be an important one for the BLM. “This process will facilitate the Department’s priority approach to making appropriate public lands available for renewable energy development in the Solar Energy Zones and ensure a fair return to taxpayers for the commercial use of these lands,” BLM Colorado State Director Helen Hankins said in a statement.

Colorado Solar Advocates Fight Xcel’s Proposal to Gut Solar Net Metering

It’s one of those mixed bags. Colorado’s largest utility, Xcel Energy, which does business in the state as Public Service Company of Colorado has filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to extend its Solar*Rewards program, which is good. But at the same time it would gut its support of rooftop solar by reducing the amount it pays for net-metered PV systems to next to nothing, significantly reducing the incentive it provides for people to go solar in the state. Xcel made the filing in late July becoming the latest utility to attempt to significantly reduce its net-metering program. Under an internal study by the company it claimed that it should be able to recoup 6 cents per kilowatt hour from residential net-metered customers—who currently get about 10.4 cents per kilowatt hour for power they put back on the grid, for all the power they produce—not just the power they put back on the grid, according to The Vote Solar Initiative. As such, the the filing the utility would reduce the amount it pays for net-metered solar arrays. “Xcel is essentially claiming the value of residential solar is about 4 cents per kWh. For commercial customers the ‘subsidy’ is much lower at 1.5 cents per kWh,” the organization said. In response to Xcel's efforts to gut its net-metering program, Colorado’s renewable energy advocacy organizations have already developed an online petition, which can be signed here (Stop Xcel’s Power Grab in Colorado) and the Colorado Renewable Energy Society (CRES) has started a letter-writing campaign to CPUC to reject the proposal. “Xcel is using shady math and backroom tactics to try to rollback the state’s successful net metering policy, which allows solar customers to get credit on their energy bills for power they deliver to the grid,” said CRES Executive Director Lorrie McAllister. “If our regulators at the Public Utility Commission approve this anti-solar proposal, it could be rolled out statewide—so even if Xcel isn’t your utility, this proposal could affect solar rooftops in your community,” she said. Meanwhile solar advocate Robert Carmichael created a CREDO campaign that he plans to deliver to the CPUC in opposition of the proposal. In the campaign, Carmichael contended, “Xcel is going to great lengths to convince you that rooftop solar is a bad deal for Coloradoans, but this couldn't be further from the truth.” He said, “Distributed, local rooftop solar delivers innumerable grid benefits, which Xcel is unfairly discounting. In addition to those ratepayer savings, Colorado’s growing rooftop solar market delivers tremendous public benefits including jobs, improved air quality, and the decreased use of precious water resources in our energy production. This valuable resource should be supported and encouraged in Colorado, one of leading solar markets.” It’s not the first time that Xcel has landed a bombshell to the solar community in Colorado. In 2011 Xcel tried to gut its rebate program by reducing its solar rebates from $2 per watt to 25 cents per watt. That proposal, as has this one, met strong resistance from the solar community and ultimately the utility worked out a deal with the solar industry that left no one completely happy, but worked for everyone. In the more recent case, already 22 organizations in favor of renewable energy have sent the CPUC a letter asking the commission to reject the proposal.

Colorado Solar Garden Program Expands as Prices Drop

New data revealed Colorado is home to some of the nations lowest solar photovoltaic system installation costs as one town looks to expand its pilot solar gardens program and improve its energy efficiency. The Gazette reported that the City Council of Colorado Springs has reached a compromise to expand its solar garden program after its original expansion program was halted due to the election of six new council members. Originally, the council approved a 10-megawatt expansion, due to the popularity of the pilot program. Since it's been scrapped, the compromise reached by new council members calls for a 2-MW expansion to take place over a single year. The compromise stems from concerns that the cost of the solar garden expansion would unfairly fall on the customers of the Colorado Springs Utility company, an effect that must be balanced with a need to fulfill state mandates that call for increased renewable energy portfolios. Originally going to cost $22 million, the solar garden expansion will now only cost $4.9 million over 20 years, offering a maximum incentive of 13 cents per kilowatt hour for customers who purchase portions of the garden. No matter how uneasy councilmen felt about the cost to utility customers, six out of nine members voted for the expansion. Utility customers will be charged 50 cents extra per year as a result. "Colorado Springs Utilities does not have to purchase one grain of coal to supply my electricity," said Bob Kinsey, a resident of Colorado Springs and owner of 20 solar panels. "And I am feeding electricity back into the system." The Price of Solar in Colorado Despite the local incentives towns and municipalities have to expand or undertake solar installations, the state of Colorado is one of the best states to install a solar system, at least when it comes to cost. In 1998, the average price to install a solar system hovered around $12 per watt. In 2012, the national average installed PV price was $5.30 per watt. However, for solar systems that range in size between 10kWs and 100kWs, Colorado boasts the lowest installed price in 2012, with it costing residents and businesses $3.70 per watt. "It is exciting to see tangible evidence that the Colorado solar industry is aggressively driving down solar installation costs," said Annie Lappé, solar policy director for Vote Solar. "Colorado installers are offering some of the most aggressive pricing options in the country."

Clean Energy in Yampa Valley

A new power purchase agreement between community-owned solar developer Clean Energy Collective and the Yampa Valley Electric Association was announced this week.– The agreement brings the community solar model to northern Colorado and supports the Yampa Valley Electric Association's quest to meet Colorado’s newly adopted renewable portfolio standard for rural electric cooperatives. The agreement allows Yampa Valley Electric Association , a customer-owned rural electric cooperative serving more than 26,000 members in northwestern Colorado, to buy 500 kilowatts of renewable energy from Clean Energy Collective'’s newest array to be built in Craig, Colo. Individual Yampa Valley Electric Association customers can then purchase solar panels in the shared array and receive credit for the energy produced directly on their monthly utility bill. The credit rate being offered by Yampa Valley Electric Association on participating member bills is significantly higher than the retail electric rate that members pay, making the program very advantageous for it members to embrace solar, according to its promoters. Clean Energy Collective expects the 500 kilowatt, approximately 2,100-panel array to serve upwards of 200 residential and commercial customers. Yampa Valley Electric Association ratepayers can buy in with as few as one panel, at an anticipated cost of $646.25 per panel, or purchase as many as needed to fully offset the electricity needs of their home or business. Yampa Valley Electric Association's 7,000-square-mile service territory includes the communities of Craig, Hayden, Steamboat Springs, and Yampa, as well as Baggs and Savery, Wyo. Yampa Valley Electric Association joins five other Colorado utilities in providing renewable energy through community-owned solar. Although a final site hanse'’t been identified to date, it is common for Clean Energy Collective to work with local communities to utilize land that is otherwise unproductive, or work with private land owners or local government entities eager to participate who want to leave a legacy of environmental stewardship. In 2010, Clean Energy Collective established the first community-owned solar array in the country near El Jebel, Colo. Today, Clean Energy Collective operates nine community solar facilities in Colorado, New Mexico, and Minnesota, generating 3.8 megawatts of clean power, spanning more than half of all utility customers in Colorado. Clean Energy Collective also has an additional 15 facilities under construction or approved for development, representing more than 6 megawatts of distributed renewable energy

Colorado Has Lowest Cost of Solar Installation in US

Colorado has just about the lowest costs in the country for installing photovoltaic solar systems, according to a study by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The annual study tracks the price for photovoltaic installations in the U.S. and has charted a steady downward path from $12 a watt in 1998 for a smaller residential system to $5.30 a watt in 2012. While that's the national average, the state-by-state breakdowns are far more dramatic. In Wisconsin, the installed cost for a system of less than 10 kilowatts was $5.90 a watt in 2012. The installed price for west Texas was $3.90 a watt, and in Colorado it was $4.10. For systems between 10 kilowatts and 100 kilowatts, Colorado had the lowest installed price in 2012 — $3.70 a watt. Wisconsin again had the highest cost, at $5.90. When it came to large, primarily utility-scale systems, Colorado again posted the lowest cost, at $3.20 a watt. Arizona had the highest installation figure, at $6.10 a watt, and California was the second-highest, $5 per watt. Driving down the cost has been a sharp decline in the price of solar panels, which dropped by $2.60 a watt between 2008 and 2012. That accounts for 80 percent of the overall price decline. A peskier part of the cost equation has been everything else — including additional equipment and workers' salaries. "The other costs have been less amenable to any overall policy, and they are lots of little things," said Galen Barbose, a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley and the report's principal author. "Still, collectively, those little things have become the largest aggregate cost." These so-called soft costs have been a prime target for the U.S. Department of Energy in reducing overall solar-energy costs. The Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association in 2012 launched the "Solar Friendly Community" campaign to encourage municipalities to streamline their permitting and inspection process for solar installations. "It is exciting to see tangible evidence that the Colorado solar industry is aggressively driving down solar installation costs," said Annie Lappé, solar policy director for Vote Solar, an advocacy group. "Colorado installers are offering some of the most aggressive pricing options in the country."

Colorado GE Solar Plant Cancelled

Just two years after picking Aurora, Colo., over the Capital Region for a mega solar panel fabrication plant, General Electric Co. has dumped the business. The decision was announced Tuesday by GE and Tempe, Ariz.-based First Solar, one of the country's largest solar manufacturers. Under the deal, which has already been completed, GE sold its thin-film solar panel technology to First Solar in exchange for 1.75 million shares of First Solar stock — about two percent of the company. GE cannot sell the shares for three years. The shares had a value of $83.8 million as of Monday. By the close of the Nasdaq stock market Wednesday, GE's share of the company had dropped to just below $71 million In April 2011, GE announced that its new $600 million solar panel plant — and 400 jobs — would be going to Colorado instead of the Albany area, which had fought fiercely for the plant. The competition by New York made sense because GE's renewable energy headquarters is based in Schenectady, and GE's research and development laboratory — where it works on solar technologies — is based in Niskayuna. The consolation prize for this area was 100 jobs in Schenectady and Niskayuna that would support the new Colorado plant, which was expected to be up and running this year. All of that was put temporarily on hold in July 2012 when GE announced the Aurora project would be suspended for at least 18 months after the collapse of domestic solar panel prices. At the time, GE said it needed to make its panels more efficient and cheaper and that the business and the Colorado plant had to be redesigned to reach those goals. Many analysts said that Chinese dumping of solar panels at cut-rate prices in the U.S. had led to a glut and to the crash of domestic solar panel prices. As part of this week's announcement, GE said it no longer plans to build the Aurora facility. First Solar spokesman Steve Crum said Wednesday his company was not planning to build the facility either. The 100 jobs expected for the Capital Region never materialized. Instead, the two companies will work together on complementary solar technologies. For instance, GE makes solar electric inverters, which First Solar will use in its systems sold to customers. Inverters convert direct-current electricity from solar panels into alternating-current electricity used in homes and commercial buildings where solar electric systems are often sited. GE will also sell First Solar solar panels to its customers. The two companies will also collaborate on future R&D projects related to the thin-film technology that GE is selling to First Solar, which is based on materials made from cadmium telluride. The efforts will take place in Niskayuna and at First Solar's research labs in Ohio and California.

Xcel Energy's Colorado Renewable Energy Plan Based on Flawed Study

This week, the Solar Energy Industries Association joined other renewable energy advocates, businesses, and environmental groups to urge the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reject a new proposal from Xcel Energy that would discourage net-metered solar energy growth in its territory. Issued last week as part of Xcel’s 2014 Renewable Energy Standard (RES) compliance plan, the proposal takes aim at net metering using a contested, in-house Xcel study that has not undergone public or commission review to make its case against the successful solar policy. The Xcel study and this subsequent proposal do not fairly value the many benefits that net-metered solar delivers to Colorado. When determining the value of net-metered solar, both costs and benefits must be considered. Solar is helping Colorado families, schools, and businesses take charge of their power supply and their electricity bills like never before. Distributed, local rooftop solar also delivers innumerable benefits to the electrical grid, which Xcel unfairly discounts in its study. Private investments in local clean energy deliver economic, environmental and public health benefits to Xcel’s solar and non-solar customers alike: New energy leadership: Colorado ranks 5th in the country with enough solar installed to power 50,500 homes. Grid benefits: Local solar energy systems can reduce the need for expensive centralized power plants and transmission infrastructure, which benefits Colorado’s non-solar customers. Job & economic benefits: There are currently 275 solar companies employing 3,600 Coloradoans throughout the state. In 2012, $187 million was invested in Colorado to install solar on homes and businesses. In order to ensure a mutually-agreeable resolution for both Xcel and the Colorado solar industry, the study and RES compliance plan must be adjusted in order to adequately account for all of these benefits. Until then, SEIA encourages the Colorado Public Utility Commission to take a stand for the state’s growing solar industry by rejecting Xcel’s near-sighted proposal.

FREE Energy Efficiency Seminar in Grand Junction, CO

Energy Efficiency Seminar Save the Date for a great seminar presented by HBA member, Energywise Consultants, titled "Energy Efficiency Techniques for New Homes Seminar"! This educational seminar will include topics such as : Values of Air Sealing, Install of insulation, HVAC Certification, & Energy Star New Homes Program, presented by accredited speaker Paul Kriescher! When: August 15, 2013 Where: Atlasta Solar (1111 South 7th Street) Time: 3:30-5:30 PM with refreshments beginning at 3:00. FREE to attend! RSVP to Vernon at 970-242-9473.

Xcel Colorado Responds to the Solar Industry on Net Metering

Solar industry representatives are attacking Xcel Energy Colorado’s just-announced proposal to change net energy metering. They've called it a threat to hundreds of solar businesses, thousands of solar jobs and tens of millions of dollars in solar investments. “It was done with only the appearance of [having solicited] our advice and counsel,” explained SolarCity Policy Director Meghan Nutting, speaking for The Alliance for Solar Choice. “Throwing out a proposal like this is essentially declaring war on the solar industry.” The Xcel proposal on net metering to the Colorado Public Utility Commission (CPUC) came out of its in-house study on the costs and benefits of distributed solar generation. The study “significantly undervalues solar’s capacity benefits and the avoided transmission costs, and there is no valuation of solar’s ancillary services benefits,” said VoteSolar’s Annie Lappé. “And they proposed a hard and fast fixed net metering charge from that faulty analysis.” “It’s an overreaction,” Xcel Energy VP Karen Hyde said of the solar industry’s response. “We want to have an open debate in the best forum we know of, the CPUC, about the net metering incentive -- whether it’s the right amount, who should pay for it, those sorts of things.” Despite the proposed reduction of the customer benefits of net metering, Hyde noted, Xcel proposed no cutbacks in solar installed capacity for 2014. Hyde expects the filing to start a dialogue about the costs and benefits of rooftop solar. "There is a contribution of solar rooftop generation to our peak," she said, "but our system load peaks substantially later than the midday solar peak, when people start coming home from work but businesses are still operating." That was the largest part of solar’s value, according to Xcel’s study. “We gave solar credit for that, though It isn’t going to avoid the need for a power plant,” Hyde said. “We determined that rooftop solar does not avoid investments in transmission and distribution, in part because we still have to serve part of the load and in part because the peaks are different. We did determine that solar avoids line losses on the distribution system, because it is closer to load, and we credited solar for that.” Hyde said she wasn’t sure what ancillary services solar could provide. “It would be great if they give us some specifics.” Hyde speculated that even with significantly more solar on the Xcel system, the benefits attributed to it by the study would not significantly change. “Over time, as you add solar, it will avoid building other generation, but we have quantified that in our assumptions.” When residential solar owners get the $0.104 per kilowatt-hour retail rate for the electricity their systems send to the grid, Hyde said, that benefit is approximately $0.059 per kilowatt hour more than the benefit solar adds, and it is paid for by non-solar owning customers. “There are just and reasonable rates where one group of customers pick up the costs for another,” Hyde noted. “Rural and urban customers are charged at the same rate.” Xcel’s intention, she insisted, is transparency about who is picking up the costs. “We don’t agree that net metering is an incentive," Nutting said. “It is a fair credit for generation. Maybe the retail rate is rough justice, but solar customers who generate electricity for the grid should get credit for it.” “It is time to start recognizing the net metering incentive as an incremental cost of customer-sited solar,” Hyde testified to the CPUC, “and to include that cost in the RESA.” The Renewable Energy Standard Adjustment (RESA) fund is one of two places spending for renewable incentives can be entered, Hyde explained. Shifting the costs of net metering to the RESA fund is one of the proposed changes. “It is neutral to customers the way we proposed it,” Hyde said, “and it doesn’t change the amount of money available of other renewables.” Xcel is allowed to collect no more than 2 percent of the customer bill to pay for incentives, but the law allows customers to owe it, in the RESA fund, for incentive expenditures. “Even with the net metering incentive for new installations,” Hyde said, “the addition to the RESA fund for 2014 is only $2.6 million for all incentives.” The RESA fund rules are complicated, Hyde acknowledged, “but it shouldn’t impact the amount of money we are able to spend for wind or utility-scale solar. They are becoming quite cost-effective for us.” But it will make more transparent the money spent on “our most expensive renewable resource, which is rooftop solar,” she added. “We want to have a debate about what the most cost-effective ways are to use our customers’ money and about what our goals are,” Hyde said. “I’m perplexed why they are opposing the debate. They should be welcoming it.”

Advocates Urge Colorado Regulators to Reject Xcel Energy’s Anti-Rooftop Solar Proposal

Renewable energy advocates, businesses and environmental groups joined together to urge the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reject a new proposal from Xcel Energy that would discourage rooftop solar growth in its territory. Issued last week as part of Xcel’s 2014 Renewable Energy Standard compliance plan, the proposal takes aim at net metering, one of the state’s most important programs for encouraging consumer investment in solar power. The utility is using a contested study that has not undergone public or commission review to make its case against the successful solar policy. The Xcel study and subsequent proposal do not fairly value the many benefits that rooftop solar delivers to Colorado. Rooftop solar is helping Colorado families, schools and businesses take charge of their power supply and their electricity bills like never before. This private investment in local clean energy is delivering economic, environmental and public health benefits to Xcel’s solar and non-solar customers alike. New energy leadership: Colorado ranks 5th in the country with enough solar installed to power 50,500 homes. Grid benefits: Local solar energy systems can reduce the need for expensive centralized power plants and transmission infrastructure, which benefits Colorado’s non-solar customers. Job & economic benefits: There are currently 275 solar companies employing 3,600 Coloradoans throughout the state. In 2012, $187 million was invested in Colorado to install solar on homes and businesses. Advocates issued the following statements in opposition to Xcel’s proposal: “Xcel is using a flawed study and backroom tactics to attempt to roll back one of the state’s most important solar customer rights. While we understand that rooftop solar represents a change from the utility’s traditional way of doing business, this proposal is a non-starter for a needed conversation about the future of rooftop solar in Colorado,” said Annie Lappé, solar policy director at The Vote Solar Initiative (Vote Solar). “Private investment in rooftop solar is helping build a cleaner, safer and more resilient energy supply for all Coloradans. We encourage the Colorado PUC to stand strong for rooftop solar by rejecting this harmful proposal from Xcel,” said Carrie Cullen Hitt, senior vice president for state affairs at the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA). "Net metering is key to reaching Colorado’s Million Solar Roofs goal and has been a huge component to helping Colorado families and businesses afford to go solar. Xcel’s current proposal falls short of accounting for rooftop solar’s tremendous value to Colorado. If we're going to have a conversation about net metering, we need to make sure we're using good, updated, accurate information," said Edward Stern, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA). “With this proposal, Xcel is standing in the way of innovation and customer choice to protect its monopoly status,” said Anne Smart, executive director of The Alliance for Solar Choice (TASC). “Instead, Xcel should be working with the PUC and stakeholders to support what the public wants, and what’s good for the state’s economy and environment.” “To increase energy self-reliance, clean our air, and fight climate disruption; Coloradans know solar energy represents a better path forward. In fact, a poll we conducted earlier this year showed a majority – nearly 60% – of Colorado voters agrees it’s important to have clean energy powering their homes. We encourage the Public Utilities Commission to act in the interest of its citizens and not a monopoly utility when considering Xcel’s proposal,” said Bryce Carter, organizer with the Sierra Club Colorado Beyond Coal Campaign. “Our state’s solar industry employs thousands of Coloradoans proudly working to build a new energy economy. This latest proposal from Xcel is a real threat to the continued growth of one of the state’s most innovative clean energy industries. At a time when solar has become more affordable than ever, the state's largest utility should be working with consumers, advocates and regulators to expand private investment in solar generation for the benefit of all customers - not cripple the industry,” said Tom Plant, vice president of state policy at Advanced Energy Economy. “Like many utilities across the country, Xcel Energy is trying to squash one of our most successful solar programs,” said Jeanne Bassett with Environment Colorado. “Rooftop solar provides immense environmental and economic benefits to households, businesses and neighborhoods; while making our electric grid more resilient. We urge our state regulators to recognize that net-metering is an efficient way to fairly compensate owners of solar panels for the value they provide to the electric grid and to reject proposals that would erode this effective program” Groups opposing the Xcel net metering proposal include: Advanced Energy Economy, Clean Energy Action, Clean Power Finance, COSEIA, Dynamic Integration, EnergyShouldBe.org, Environment Colorado, Five Star Consultants, Go Green Electric, Namaste Solar, Real Goods Solar, SEIA, Sierra Club, Sierra Club Rocky Mountain Chapter, SolarCity, Sunrun, TASC, Verengo Solar and Vote Solar. About net metering Like rollover minutes on a cell phone bill, net metering gives solar customers full credit on their utility bills for the excess clean power they contribute to the grid. In place in 43 states, this simple crediting arrangement is one of the most important state policies for enabling Americans to generate their own power from solar and other renewable energy resources. Coalition for Solar Rights http://www.protectnetmetering.org

Solar-Energy Groups Oppose Xcel Energy Plan to Roll-Back Colorado Net-Metering Laws

A coalition of solar-industry and environmental groups Tuesday called upon the Colorado Public Utilities Commission to reject an Xcel Energy proposal they say would curtail rooftop solar installations. Xcel, the state's largest electricity provider, has suggested trimming the "net metering" credit that homeowners and small businesses with solar arrays get for putting electricity on the grid. In a unified statement, 22 trade groups, renewable-energy advocacy groups, environmental groups and solar businesses opposed the idea. "Xcel Energy is trying to squash one of our most successful solar programs," said Jeanne Bassett of Environment Colorado. On July 24 , Xcel filed a required renewable-energy plan with the PUC that said homeowners and businesses with solar arrays receive a 10.5-cent credit for each kilowatt-hour they put on the grid but that they provide only about 5 cents in benefits. Xcel did not respond to a request for comment Tuesday. In an interview last week, Karen Hyde, an Xcel vice president for rates, said, "We are looking for a more transparent discussion of costs and benefits." "Xcel is using a flawed study and backroom tactics to attempt to roll back one of the state's most important solar customer rights," said Annie Lappé, solar-policy director at the Vote Solar Initiative. Net metering "has been a huge component to helping Colorado families and businesses afford to go solar," said Edward Stern, executive director of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association.

Colorado's Xcel Energy Signals For Change Of Direction On Net Metering

Xcel Energy says it will seek to continue its incentive programs for on-site solar for Colorado next year while making progress toward meeting the state's renewable energy standards. However, it says it also wants to clarify the costs of the state's net energy metering (NEM) incentive. In filing its 2014 Renewable Energy Standard (RES) compliance plan with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC), Xcel Energy says it intends to add 42.5 MW of new generation in 2014, including 24 MW of on-site (“small”) solar and 6.5 MW of community solar through the company’s Solar*Rewards program. The RES compliance plan also asks the CPUC to identify clearly the incentives provided to solar customers associated with NEM. The utility says NEM incentives ultimately are paid by non-solar customers across Xcel Energy’s service territory in Colorado. Xcel Energy says the RES compliance plan does not propose to change the amount of money paid to solar customers in 2014. However, the utility is requesting that the solar customers’ net costs - the benefits they receive less the costs Xcel Energy avoids as a result of their solar systems - be clearly spelled out. Xcel Energy says more than 15,000 of its customers currently participate in the company’s Solar*Rewards program, representing more than 160 MW of solar capacity. The utility says solar generation does allow it to avoid the cost of fuel, some future generating plant needs and some system energy losses, but argues that other costs related to distribution, transmission and generation capacity are not avoided, so they ultimately are paid for by other Xcel Energy customers in Colorado. "One of the goals of the state’s renewable energy effort a decade ago was to help establish the solar industry in Colorado," says David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company, in a statement. "Colorado now enjoys a robust solar industry, and with this filing, we look forward to advancing the dialog about cost and incentive transparency, and about how best to move forward in addressing these issues in the future." Earlier this month, a proposal that utility Arizona Public Service Corp. (APS) submitted to state regulators to add fees to its NEM program produced a storm of protest from solar installers and other sector advocates. Greg Bernosky, manager of renewable energy programs at APS, told Solar Industry that NEM had done its job in establishing a solar sector in the Arizona and was "not meant to be a permanent state." "This is becoming an issue in many states, but we believe our proposal to continue our programs, while quantifying the full value of utility incentives – will make for better future decisions about our renewable energy alternatives," Eves says. "As the solar industry truly moves toward becoming self-sustaining, we need to determine how to address these costs." Xcel Energy says it has proposed other changes in its filing related to contributions to the RES adjustment; modifications to continue the Solar*Rewards Community program to allow for more participation; adjustments to the methodology and premium for the company’s Windsource program; and establishment of non-solar renewable energy credit and recycled energy resource programs.

Mosaic, Distributed Sun partner for first crowdfunded solar project in Colorado

Mosaic, which is using crowdfunding to develop solar and other clean energy projects, today (April 8) unveiled $100 million in solar projects that Californians can invest in directly. At the same time it launched its first offering in what it is calling the Golden State Series of solar projects in California, crowdfunding a 114 kilowatt array on the Ronald McDonald House in San Diego. The $157,750 project was funded within hours of its offering, signifying the public’s interest in supporting solar projects. Mosaic is getting more U.S. citizens to invest directly in solar projects. This is occurring as companies are trying to figure out new financing mechanisms for solar, like creating bonds and securities. Such tools will help lower the cost of solar because they can offer long-term returns at lower interest rates than the short-term, higher interest rate loans that banks and some other institutional investors are looking for. Bonds and securities will also attract new types of investors to solar project financing, investors like insurance companies and retirement funds, which are looking for stable, long-term returns. “California has always been a leader in solar energy. We’re thrilled that now any resident of California can invest directly into solar energy for as little as $25,” said Billy Parish, President & Co-founder of Mosaic. The Ronald McDonald House project is anticipated to offer at 4.5 percent annual return on investment. It will have a 117-month term—nearly 10 years, according to Mosaic. Thus far the company’s offerings to the public have received a lot of interest. When it made three offerings in California this January, all were completely funded within 24-hours. In all, people ponied up to invest $300,000 in the projects. Now that Mosaic received approval from securities regulators, it can start offering its Golden State Series of projects to Californians for investment. However, it has not named all the projects it plans to offer to the public at this point. To make sure that the industry and new investor interest in it is continuing to grow Mosaic is working with other companies as part of the truSolar working group. The companies, which include Standard & Poor’s, DuPont and Distributed Sun, are working on ways to efficiently evaluated projects to ensure quality while reducing the time it takes to bring solar projects to investors.

Senergy Builders Bulid New Solar Homes in Grand Junction, CO

Senergy Builders is building and selling in two subdivisions in the southeast area, KC Farms and River Trails. KC Farms is an 11-lot subdivision near 31 1/2 and E Road, and River Trails is a much larger subdivision off D Road that will eventually have around 200 homes. Both subdivisions offer only Energy Star-rated homes, and the homes in River Trails also have leased solar panels on the roof to generate electricity. “Buyers (at River Trails) are happy about everything — the energy efficiency, the smart home features, the solar panel, the xeriscape — the entire package,” said Joan Lowe with Senergy Builders. Senergy is planning to start two more homes at KC Farms, and at least two more homes at River Trails in the upcoming weeks. The two finished homes at River Trails are still available, however, as prospective buyers who are writing contracts are opting for different floor plans.

Feds bar new mining claims in solar energy zones

WASHINGTON - Federal officials have taken another step toward establishing 17 new "solar energy zones" on public lands in the West by barring new mining claims that could impede renewable energy development on the sites. The Interior Department said Friday it has withdrawn nearly 304,000 acres of public lands in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada, New Mexico and Utah from new mining claims. To streamline solar development, the new zones are located near existing transmission lines, and were chosen because they had fewer environmental and cultural issues that would require years of study and mitigation. Since 2009 the Bureau of Land Management has approved 25 solar projects in the West that when built will be able to power more than 2.4 million homes.

Colorado A Million Solar Roofs

Grand Junction, Colo. – Colorado is one of the states leading the effort in using renewable energy, officials say as one of the sunniest states in the nation it makes sense for us to look into solar. Thursday afternoon at the Career Center off North Avenue, Environment Colorado, the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA), and solar business leaders kicked off the state's million solar roofs campaign. "Not only because of the environmental benefits, but for the economic benefits. It's really a cost saving kind of investment and in the long term it's really going to secure our energy future around here and the state, and nationally," says Lindsey Wilson, with Environment Colorado. Organizers are aiming to have the equivalent of a million solar roofs by 2030. Their effort may help the job market grow. There are already 266 solar energy companies in Colorado, employing 3,600 people. Solar power is unique in that it is a clean, energy source that in the long run may help reduce the need to build more power plants in the future.

Colorado Million Solar Roofs in Grand Junction

Media Advisory: Colorado's Million Solar Roofs Campaign What: Kick off of Colorado’s Million Solar Roofs campaign calling for the installation of the equivalent of a million solar roofs by 2030, with release of a new report showing how we can accomplish this goal. Who: Environment Colorado, the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association, with partners including political and business leaders as well as local solar installers. When: Thursday June 27, 2013 at 1:30pm in Grand Junction. Other events held throughout the state, throughout the day. Where: School District 51’s ‘Career Center’ parking lot, located at 2935 North Ave, Grand Junction, CO. Press members who would also like footage/ photos of the installed solar system at the Career Center will have an opportunity to go to the roof to get shots. Speakers include: School District 51’s Eric Anderson, on why the school district installed solar. Homeowners who have installed solar for their families in the Grand Valley. Lindsey Wilson with Environment Colorado. Piper Foster, COSEIA board president. Heidi Ihrke of High Noon Solar. Lou Villaire of Atlasta Solar. Why: We are calling on leaders to adopt this vision and to take concrete steps to achieve this important goal for Colorado’s future. Here are the top three reasons: • Solar should play a central role in meeting Colorado’s energy and environmental goals. Solar is accessible to all: Many people are installing systems with no money down and seeing savings immediately. Many options are available for those who want to own their own solar energy. • Solar gives you energy independence and protects against rising fuel prices. Home values go up and you don’t have to worry about rate increases. Hundreds of Colorado solar companies provide thousands of jobs. • Solar helps protect the environment because it avoids air pollution from fossil fuels and relies on the clean, abundant energy of sunshine. It is a major way we can avert catastrophic climate change. For More Information Contact: High Noon Solar 569 S. Westgate Dr. #4 Grand Junction, CO 81505 www.highnoonsolar.com 970-241-0209

SEIA and COSEIA Applaud Colorado Public Utilities Commission Decision in Expanding Solar*Rewards Program

SEIA and COSEIA Applaud Colorado Public Utilities Commission Decision in Expanding Solar*Rewards Program The Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) applauded a decision by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) to increase the 2013 capacity of Xcel Energy’s popular Solar*Rewards program for small-sized solar installations throughout the state. In April, SEIA, the COSEIA, and Xcel Energy jointly proposed this capacity increase in order to avoid possible disruption to the successful program. Solar*Rewards encourages the growth of solar energy and offers customers incentives to install solar panels electric systems on their homes and businesses. As part of a compliance plan approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2012, 9.6 megawatts of generating capacity were available to Xcel Energy residential customers in Colorado in each of the two years, for systems of up to 10.0 kilowatts each, allowing for solar installations on approximately 2,000 homes. Prior to the CPUC’s decision, capacity in the small-sized solar installation program had been fully subscribed. Without commission approval to expand the capacity of this program, incentives for installation of systems of 10.0 kilowatts or less electric would have been suspended statewide until at least 2014. This decision approved making 33.6 MW available to the Colorado solar market. “We thank the CPUC for making an expedient decision in support of Colorado’s rapidly-growing solar energy industry, which is now ranked fifth in the nation based on total installed capacity,” said Sara Birmingham, director of western states at SEIA. “Expanding Solar*Rewards will allow Colorado to maintain this leadership position by supporting small businesses and their growing workforce, and promoting the deployment of even more clean, abundant solar energy throughout the state.” “This decision by the CPUC will help Coloradans who want to go solar, and it will help solar companies to expand their businesses. This will sustain Colorado jobs and continue the growth of a secure and sustainable source of domestic energy. I appreciate the collaboration between COSEIA, SEIA and Xcel Energy to get this done,” said Edward Stern, executive director, COSEIA. SEIA http://www.seia.org

Sun power experts happy with growth

Sun power experts happy with growth By Charles Ashby Saturday, June 15, 2013 People who work in the solar power industry just can’t help themselves when talking about its future. It’s a bright one, they say. Bad puns notwithstanding, the industry locally and nationally is seeing a tremendous amount of business right now. According to the Solar Energy Industries Association’s U.S. Solar Market Insight report, which it releases each quarter, a combined 723 megawatts of solar power was installed nationwide in the first quarter of this year. That amounts to 48 percent of all new electric capacity from all sources, including wind and natural gas drilling. To solar power experts, that says it all. “We are on the cusp of a new solar revolution in the U.S., driven by the rapid expansion of distributed generation,” said Shayle Kann, vice president of research for GTM Research, the Boston-based firm that conducts the quarterly study. “Installations will speed up over the next four years as projects become economically preferable to retail power in more locations.” The report shows that both residential and commercial installations nationally and in the state are up dramatically, primarily because prices to install photovoltaic solar power systems has dropped in recent years. The average national price declined 24 percent, to $3.37 per watt, in the first quarter of 2013 compared to the same period last year. By comparison, it was upwards to $12 a watt in 1998, according to a recent study by the Berkeley National Laboratory. As a result, the residential market grew 53 percent in the first quarter of the year compared to the same period in 2012, while the utility market more than doubled over that same period, the solar energy report says. All that’s happened at a time when government incentives are starting to diminish or go away completely, particularly for commercial and municipal projects. That trend seems to bear up locally, too. Heidi Ihske, co-owner of High Noon Solar, 569 S. Westgate Drive in Grand Junction, says it’s a combination of what tax incentives remain and the lowering price. Couple that with other new payment options, such as low-interest loans and leasing plans, and homeowners are keeping people like Ihske busy. “The rebates are still good and the cost of solar coming down has kind of walked alongside that so it doesn’t impact the market too much,” she said. “Business is good. We’re right into the thick of summer when more people are thinking about solar. It’s positive energy always when people start getting those high electric bills with their air conditioning and kick into that higher tier-two rate with Xcel.” While government grants, rebates and tax breaks for larger-scale projects have all but gone away, they still exist for residential and smaller commercial projects. Though it now applies to small wind-turbine residential installations, the Federal Residential Renewable Energy Tax Credit was initially designed to offer a 30 percent personal income tax break on solar-electric systems, solar water heating systems and fuel cells. That credit still exists and isn’t set to expire until at least 2016, though it could be extended beyond that time. Meanwhile, the popular Solar Rewards Program that Xcel Energy closed out last year is expected to return. The utility has worked out a settlement agreement with the solar power industry to bring it back next year and is awaiting approval from the Colorado Public Utilities Commission. As a result, Xcel is still accepting applications for the program, which is designed to help the power supplier meet its 30 percent renewable energy standard. Darin Carei, president of Atlasta Solar Center, 1111 S. Seventh St. in Grand Junction, says he, too, is seeing a bright future for both residential and commercial sales, but he expects prices to begin to stabilize in the coming years. That, he said, is due to a surplus of solar panels that some manufacturers are currently selling at less than the cost of making them. But that won’t last. “At some point, the surplus will be absorbed and the market will fall back into balance,” Carei said. “But the cost of doing it still will come down, so I think we’re OK from the standpoint of, we’re not going to see a large-scale spike in (panel) prices. The technology is proven, so we’re not going to go away.”

COSEIA joined Governor John Hickenlooper today as he signed Senate Bill 252 into law

Governor signing 252 today COSEIA Executive Director Edward Stern (left) joined Senate President John Morse, Representative Crisanta Duran, and other renewable energy advocates for the signing of Senate Bill 252 today DENVER- COSEIA joined Governor John Hickenlooper today as he signed Senate Bill 252 into law. COSEIA worked to pass SB 252, which will double the Renewable Energy Standard, from 10 percent to 20 percent for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the wholesale energy provider to most Colorado electric co-ops, and Intermountain Rural Electric Association, the largest distribution cooperative in the state. By 2020, these large energy providers will be asked to come closer to the 30 percent Renewable Energy Standard that Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy are well on their way to meeting. The legislation includes the same 2 percent cap on rate increases applied to Xcel. The bill is expected to create new opportunities for COSEIA members of all sizes. Utility-scale solar companies will benefit through the increase in total renewable generation required by Tri-State and through incentives for choosing solar. The legislation will also create opportunities in rural Colorado for COSEIA's residential and commercial installers through the Distributed Generation carve-out. Distribution cooperatives with more than 10,000 meters will have a carve-out of 1 percent of total retail electric sales, and smaller co-ops will have a 0.75 percent DG carve-out. In addition, the bill makes important changes to the state's overall Renewable Energy Standard in an effort to help fend off existing legal challenges. "COSEIA worked to pass Senate Bill 252 and it was an honor see it signed by the Governor today, ''said COSEIA Executive Director Edward Stern. ``We believe this bill will make solar more affordable, and it is one step to help grow solar industry jobs and economic development across the state." COSEIA members who work in co-op territories predicted the measure will bring many benefits to rural Colorado. "SB 252 is a common sense market- driven solution to making the grid more stable and diverse with more local renewable energy,'' said Derek Wadsworth of Durango SolarWorks, an installation company in southwest Colorado working primarily within La Plata Electric Association and Empire Electric Association co-op territories. "Reliable renewable energy like solar should be seriously considered in a variety of settings in rural Colorado,'' said D. Zach Beamon, energy consultant for High Noon Solar. "This measure will help put dollars in rural Colorado and will really count in making solar more affordable for customers of the coops.'' Beamon works in territories of Grand Valley Power, Delta Montrose Electric Association, and Holy Cross Electric Association. The measure will have important spin-off effects for local economies, COSEIA members predicted during debate over the measure. Josh Fabian is President of solar installer Dynamic Integration, LLC in Montrose, an area served by Delta Montrose Electric Association, whose company also works in territories of San Miguel and Grand Valley coops. ``Everyone from the local company that does our placard engraving, the local mechanic that services our trucks, the local office supply company, local hardware stores and electrical suppliers-- all of these community minded businesses would inevitably see an increase of revenue from the adoption of Senate Bill 252,'' he said. "I believe that renewable energy is our future and that there is no better time to be striving toward that future than this moment.'' Senate Bill 252 was sponsored by Senators John Morse and Gail Schwartz, and by Representatives Mark Ferrandino and Crisanta Duran.

COSEIA Joins Governor Hickenlooper and State Lawmakers as Energy Efficiency Bill Becomes Law

DENVER- Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association Executive Director Edward Stern joined Senator Matt Jones, Representative Max Tyler, and Representative Mike Foote as Governor John Hickenlooper signed House Bill 1105 into law. The bill, which gives incentives for high-performing new homes and energy retrofits of existing homes, was also sponsored by Senator Gail Schwartz in the Senate. House Bill 1105 sets standards for the Colorado Energy Saving Mortgage program, which administers financing for people purchasing energy-efficient homes or home improvements to increase energy efficiency. Under HB 1105, a property's Home Energy Rating System (HERS) score will help determine the maximum mortgage value. The lower the HERS score, the more energy-efficient the home is. For new homes with a HERS score of zero, the maximum value of the mortgage would be $8,000. For new homes with a higher HERS score, or for home improvements, the Colorado Energy Office (CEO) will determine the maximum mortgage value. Over the past two years, an existing Energy Star mortgage program has provided 188 energy-related mortgages. The programs provide financial incentives for people to purchase energy-efficient homes, and the state will partner with utilities and private lenders under HB 1105 to establish an incentive pool of an expected $1 million or more. "COSEIA was part of the inception of this bill, and it's an honor to be here as it is signed into law," said COSEIA Executive Director Edward Stern. "Thanks to these legislators for working to grow Colorado's renewable energy industry, and thanks to Governor Hickenlooper for supporting this measure." "These programs have great support from the construction and financial sectors, as we continue to work together to keep Colorado at the forefront of renewable energy, clean- tech and energy efficiency policy nationally," said Sen. Gail Schwartz. The bill was crafted with feedback from mortgage lenders and received the support of the Colorado Banking Association. Participating lenders will provide matching funds to double the value of the state's investment. "This is generating a lot of excitement in the marketplace," Rep. Tyler said. "It will drive demand for energy-efficient homes and help our housing and clean-tech industries grow and create jobs." "This bill is a win-win-win," Rep. Foote said. "Clean-energy jobs will get a boost, consumers will see lower energy costs and Colorado will benefit from cleaner air, water and land."

Xcel Energy unveils ambitious Colorado solar, wind power plan

To help meet Colorado’s renewable portfolio standard, Xcel Energy plans to add 700 megawatts of wind power and 350MW of utility-scale solar power by 2015, Recharge learns. As part of its plan filed with the Colorado Public Utilities Commission, a regulatory body, Xcel Energy hopes to obtain an additional 257MW of solar power through a program in which it buys renewable energy credits from customers who install solar power systems. Taken together, the acquisition plan for renewable energy is among the most ambitious for any electric utility in the US. Colorado’s RPS requires large investor-owned utilities to produce 20% of their energy from renewable resources by 2020, four percent of which must come from “solar-electric technologies.”

Colorado renewable energy bill gets call for veto from GOP lawmakers

About a dozen Republican legislators met on the steps of the state Capitol on Thursday to call for a veto on the rural renewable energy bill, arguing that it, along with gun-control bills passed earlier this year, are an attack on rural Colorado. Senate Bill 252, which passed May 1, requires the state's rural-based nonprofit energy cooperatives to increase the amount of renewable energy offered to 20 percent by 2020. It's a requirement that, according to opponents, places an unfair burden on the state's rural communities, which get much of their power from cheaper coal. "We have ranchers and farmers all across the state who right now are also nonprofit, and they've been nonprofit for the last five years," said Sen. Steve King, R-Grand Junction. "They are just barely hanging on." Gov. John Hickenlooper told The Denver Post on Thursday that he was still reviewing the legislation and speaking with lawmakers on both sides, as well as with executives from the Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association energy cooperative. The governor said the new legislative requirements would, if applied in Colorado, put the state in the middle of the range of renewable energy consumption compared to rural cooperatives from surrounding states. The governor has until June 7 to either sign the bill, veto it or do nothing, in which case it will become law. A contested aspect of the bill is a 2 percent limit on billing increases for affected consumers. Proponents say the fee cap ensures that consumers won't be hit with increases they can't afford, but opponents say the cap forces energy companies to simply shift the cost elsewhere. "They try to build caps in, but you cannot cap the cost of compliance," said Sean Paige, deputy state director for Americans for Prosperity Colorado, the news conference's organizer. "Costs are real, and the costs are paid by somebody," he said. "To say we're going to cap the costs just forces utility providers into dishonest bookkeeping." Senate President John Morse, who sponsored the bill, said the cap instead protects the cooperatives from being forced to comply with the bill if the costs are prohibitive. "The bill says very explicitly and clearly you don't have to spend that extra dollar to get that extra percent (increase)," Morse said. "Read the bill, look at what it says and does, and these arguments will fall on their face," he said. Read more: Colorado renewable energy bill gets call for veto from GOP lawmakers - The Denver Post http://www.denverpost.com/breakingnews/ci_23209615/colorado-renewable-energy-bill-gets-call-veto-from#ixzz2U5FEpRwY Read The Denver Post's Terms of Use of its content: http://www.denverpost.com/termsofuse Follow us: @Denverpost on Twitter | Denverpost on Facebook

Colorado House Passes Clean Technologies Act

Colorado Cleantech Industry Association (CCIA) announced the passing of House Bill 13 – 1001, the Advanced Industries Acceleration Act by the General Assembly and awaits the Governor’s signature. The bill provides for annual allocations of several million per year for the next decade including over $12 million next year in grants supporting seven advanced industries driving the Colorado economy including energy and natural resources. Through this act, the Colorado Office of Economic Development will provide grants for clean technology projects based on the existing funding stream within the Clean Technology Discovery Evaluation Grant Program starting in 2014. The goal of the act is to grow the most promising technology sectors in Colorado by providing grant opportunities to energy and natural resources; advanced manufacturing; aerospace; bioscience; electronics; engineering; and information technology. The Advanced Industries Acceleration Act absorbed an existing clean technology grant program that is set to begin disbursing funds in spring 2014. Companies that qualify will now be eligible for proof-of-concept grants (capped at $150,000), early stage capital and retention grants (capped at $250,000), and infrastructure grants (capped at $500,000). All three types of grants have a required matching component. Additionally, if a grantee qualifies for a “preference,” there are no caps on grant amounts. Additional bills CCIA worked to pass this legislative session include: SB 13 – 126, HOA, Condo, Apartment Barriers, Electric Vehicle Charging Stations: SB 13 – 186, Updating Requirements – New Building Technologies: This bill makes it easier for certified roofing contractors and electricians to oversee new solar shingle installations. SB 13 – 212, Commercial PACE: This bill allows commercial real estate owners to enter into an optional financing agreement with a financial institution to install renewable energy and energy efficient upgrades and repay the improvements through property taxes. SB 13 – 252, Increasing the Renewable Energy Standard (RES) & Coal Mine and Landfill Methane: This bill increases the RES for rural and generation co-operatives to 20% by 2020, an increase from the current 10%. Additionally, the bill includes coalmine and landfill methane capture towards the RES and increases the Distributed Generation requirement. CCIA’s government affairs team is dedicated to supporting cleantech companies by testifying on behalf of its members and constituents in supporting or opposing appropriate bills during each State Legislative session. CCIA also writes legislation and actively lobbies lawmakers and the administration to benefit the Colorado cleantech ecosystem.

Bill to Expand Renewables in Rural Colorado Awaits Governor's Signature

It looks like Colorado is set to expand the amount of renewable energy in the state once again now that Colorado Senate Bill 252 passed Colorado’s House of Representatives. The bill passed through the House on Monday, April 30 and was passed again by the Senate. It now heads to Gov. John Hickenlooper’s (D) desk. The bill would expand the amount of renewable energy like solar, wind and geothermal that the state’s large rural co-operative and municipal utilities must have in their electric generating portfolio to 20 percent by 2020. Colorado has had one the nation’s highest renewable energy standards or renewable portfolio standards since 2010 (only California and Hawaii have higher RPSs), when then Gov. Bill Ritter (D) signed legislation expanding the RPS to 30 percent for the state’s investor-owned utilities (IOUs), Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy. But rural and municipal utilities were only required to source 10 percent of their electric from renewable resources thus far. While the IOUs provide power for most of Colorado’s residents, the municipal and rural co-ops cover more of Colorado geographically. The RPS has led to thousands of new jobs in the solar and wind industries across the state, and despite the expansion of renewables, the state’s electric rates remain lower than in much of the nation — at 9.43 cents per kilowatt hour across all sectors in February 2013, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration. Upon the bill's passage through the House, Conservation Colorado Executive Director Pete Maysmith said, “We congratulate our Colorado Representatives and Senators who have championed nation-leading legislation to expand clean wind and solar energy to all of Colorado. With the House passing SB 252, Colorado is once again at the forefront of diversifying our energy sources and encouraging investment in clean and innovative energy to power our future.” He added, “This legislation will protect Colorado consumers by preventing price spikes on their electricity bills; and give more Coloradans access to clean wind and solar energy.” The bill moved relatively quickly through the legislative process. It was introduced less than a month ago, but it didn’t pass through unscathed. The bill originally called for expanding the amount of renewables in rural electric co-op’s and municipal utility's generating portfolios to 25 percent. However, in effort to appease some of the bill’s opponents like Tri-State Generation, a co-op utility that provides much of the generation capacity for Colorado’s rural co-ops, the House lowered the requirement, says Chris Arend, a spokesperson for Conservation Colorado. He adds that Tri-State still opposed the amended version of the bill. Part of the reason the SB 252 was originally set to expand the co-ops portfolio to 25 percent rather than 30 percent is because of the shortened time-frame that the rural co-ops and municipalities will have to add in more solar and wind, Colorado Renewable Energy Society CEO Lorrie McAllister, formerly said. But despite the lower requirement, Tri-State still opposed the bill, Arend says. Now that the bill eked through the legislature (the session closes next week), Gov. Hickenlooper is expected to sign the bill into law later this month.

Supporters Hail Passage of Rural Renewable Energy Legislation

Proponents say Senate Bill 252 will increase opportunities for rural economic development and reduce pollution across Colorado, but the initiative was criticized by the electrical co-op industry in the state, who claim it will raise rates. “Increasing Colorado’s renewable energy standards for rural electric co-ops offers rural Coloradans what they want: more solar, less pollution, more energy security and diversity, and more rural Colorado jobs,” said Lou Villaire, co-owner of Atlasta Solar which has provided service to Grand Valley Power Coop members for 35 years. The legislation will double the Renewable Energy Standard, from 10 percent to 20 percent for Tri-State Generation and Transmission Association, the wholesale energy provider to most Colorado electric co-ops, and Intermountain Rural Electric Association, the largest distribution cooperative in Colorado. “The passage of SB 252 shows that the Colorado state legislature understands the importance of continuing to develop our clean, local and affordable energy resources like solar and wind across the state. As the Governor also supports clean energy development, we hope he responds promptly and signs the bill into law,” said Jeanne Bassett, Senior Associate with Environment Colorado. By 2020, these large energy providers will be asked to come closer to the 30 percent Renewable Energy Standard that Xcel Energy and Black Hills Energy are well on their way to meeting. The legislation includes the same 2 percent cap on rate increases applied to Xcel – a rate impact that, if realized, the Colorado Energy Office estimates would cost the average family about $2 a month. Members of the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association [1] who live in co-op territory are enthusiastic about the positive impacts they foresee. “As a resident and business owner within a co-op territory, I strongly feel that Senate Bill 252 would be a tremendous boost to the local economy,” said Josh Fabian, President of solar installer Dynamic Integration, LLC in Montrose, an area served by Delta Montrose Electric Association. “Not only would companies like mine be able to work closer to their home office, leading to less consumption of fuel, lower overheard and increased efficiency, but we would also have the opportunity to hire and train additional installers who would be The bill is expected to create new opportunities for renewable energy businesses by increasing the Renewable Energy Standard. Additionally, the legislation will create opportunities in rural Colorado through the Distributed Generation carve-out. Under this bill, distribution cooperatives with more than 10,000 meters will have a carve-out of 1 percent of total retail electric sales, and smaller co-ops will have a 0.75 percent DG carve-out. Senate Bill 252 was sponsored by Senate President John Morse and House Speaker Mark Ferrandino, along with Senator Gail Schwartz and Representative Crisanta Duran. It is headed to Gov. John Hickenlooper for his signature. “Rural Coloradans have already voted, and we have voted for more solar,” said Villaire. “Requiring Colorado rural Electric Co-ops to generate more electricity from solar at a minimal cost is not a hardship but rather an opportunity to increase jobs, reduce pollution, and lower electricity bills over the long-term for rural Colorado coop members.”

Xcel Energy to seek Solar*Rewards Continuation

DENVER - In order to avoid possible disruption to the Solar*Rewards program for small­sized solar installations in Colorado, Xcel Energy, the Solar Energy Industries Association (SEIA) and the Colorado Solar Energy Industries Association (COSEIA) jointly propose an increase in program capacity for 2013. Solar*Rewards encourages the growth of solar energy and offers customers incentives to install solar panels electric systems on their homes and businesses. As part of a compliance plan approved by the Colorado Public Utilities Commission (CPUC) in 2012, 9.6 megawatts of generating capacity were available to Xcel Energy residential customers in Colorado in each of the two years (2012 and 2013), for systems of up to 10.0 kilowatts each, allowing for solar installations on approximately 2,000 homes. Capacity in the small­sized solar installation program has now been fully subscribed. Without commission approval to expand the capacity of this program, incentives for installation of systems of 10.0 kilowatts or less of electricity would be suspended statewide for the remainder of the year, until a new compliance plan is approved for 2014 and beyond. The company's Solar*Rewards program is funded through a rider on all Xcel Energy customer bills, totaling 2 percent of each total monthly electric bill. Colorado voters approved a state Renewable Energy Standard (RES) in 2004, which included provisions for the support of customer­sited solar installations. The RES has since been amended twice by the Colorado General Assembly. Coloradans have continued to show interest in on­site solar installations. We believe it is important to keep this program available to the market for the remainder of 2013, by moving forward capacity that was planned for next year," said David Eves, president and CEO of Public Service Co. of Colorado, an Xcel Energy company. "It is also important to continue to reduce our program incentive levels and provide transparency as solar energy costs decline and these installations become more prevalent." Xcel Energy, SEIA and COSEIA continue to work on details for the agreed upon proposal, which will be filed for expedited approval with the CPUC and after consultation with other interested parties. The parties to the agreement look forward to working with statewide stakeholders at the commission on this plan. Initially, however, the settlement would propose to allow additional solar generation capacity to be available to the market in 2013 and the beginning of 2014, with the declining Solar*Rewards incentives previously approved by the CPUC, which also would have otherwise been available in 2014 and beyond. "Colorado's solar leadership is really something to be proud of. Our homes and businesses are going solar in record numbers, and that investment is putting people to work all across the state. This proposal will allow us to keep building on that success by adding enough solar energy to power thousands of homes," said Edward Stern, executive director of COSEIA. "We appreciate the willingness of Xcel Energy to work with the solar industry to find a solution. This proposal will help the Colorado solar industry avoid falling off a cliff, and it will allow Coloradans to continue working," said Sara Birmingham, director of state affairs at SEIA. "In 2012, installed solar capacity grew 76 percent throughout the nation, and Colorado ranks fifth among states for the most cumulative installed solar capacity. Expanding the Solar*Rewards program will allow Colorado to maintain its leadership position within such a rapidly­growing industry. As noted and with prior Solar*Rewards offerings, this proposal will include performance­based incentives - which are reduced in a predictable manner as capacity is filled - for both customer­owned and third­party owned small solar systems. The Solar*Rewards program will continue to accept applications through this process, but the company must wait for commission approval of the settlement agreement before it can begin providing these incentives.